What do Messi, Iniesta, Xavi and Busquets all have in common? They are among the worldâ€™s best, if not the best, players in their respective positions and they play for FC Barcelona. But thereâ€™s something else that they share â€“ they are all graduates of FC Barcelonaâ€™s famed La Masia youth football academy. While there is no doubting their sublime talent, it wouldnâ€™t be incorrect to say that the training they received at La Masia played a massive part in making them the world-beaters that they are.

As a result of our commitment to bring world-class football coaching to India, Soccer Schools of Excellence (SSE) was selected by Conscient Football to be their local partners for the FC Barcelona Mumbai Camp. Envisioned to provide young footballers with exposure to best-in-class coaching techniques and practices, the camp gave over 100 youngsters the opportunity to learn first-hand from FC Barcelonaâ€™s highly respected coaches.

The summer of 2013 proved to be a huge moment for these excited, energetic and enthusiastic kids as 108 boys and girls between the ages of 6 and 17 were put through the paces by the Barca coaches. While the curriculum for the camp focused on improving dribbling and shooting, other areas covered included retaining possession of the ball, supporting team mates on attack and defence, and improving passing technique. The coaches also highlighted the important values that form the foundation for any footballer â€“ team work, respect, discipline and commitment. By using examples of FC Barcelona players like Messi and Iniesta, the coaches helped in creating role models for the youngsters to follow.

All camp attendees received 2 Nike FCB jerseys, shorts, stockings, a kit bag, FCB stationery, an Official Camp Certificate and a FCB first team wall poster. But more importantly, what the children took away was the experience of training with and training like the best.

By the end of the camp, it was heartening to see parents and players take away so much from their experience. The camp may be over, but for over 100 young kids, their quest to go faster, higher and stronger has only begun.

With football destined to be the sport of the future in India, we believe that camps such as these, combined with year-round football coaching,will serve as the platform to produce a generation of world-class Indian footballers. Who knows, the day when India qualifies for a football World Cup may not be as far as some believe.